The City of Markham today announced it has been named a finalist in IDC Government Insights’ sixth annual Smart Cities North America Awards (SCNAA) in the Urban Planning and Land Use category, for “Smart” as a Pillar to the Markham Centre Secondary Plan update.
The awards recognize the progress North American municipalities have made in executing Smart Cities projects, as well as provide a forum for sharing best practices to help accelerate Smart City development in the region.
“The City of Markham is honoured to be named a finalist in IDC Government’s annual Smart Cities North America Awards, a reflection of our deep commitment to innovation and Smart City design,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “Our Urban Planning and Design and Information Technology teams have worked collaboratively with various internal and external stakeholders to ensure we continue to lead the way in creating a sustainable and forward thinking community that embraces new technologies to allow for more seamless design and integration.”
Markham Centre Secondary Plan establishes the City of Markham’s long-term vision for creating a vibrant, intensive and mixed-use downtown. To help achieve this, the City worked closely with Stantec to develop a Smart City Strategy and roadmap as part of the Secondary Plan. The Strategy serves as a foundation to ensure a secure, scalable and sustainable approach to build Markham Centre, by putting a focus on people and purpose. It consists of five dimensions: smart people, high-performing partnerships, smart governance and regulation, IT and data architecture and smart solutions.
“Applying smart technology sustainably and effectively is a journey that requires a good roadmap,” said Dr. Rick Huijbregts, global smart cities lead at Stantec. “Markham is establishing itself as a leader in smart city thinking by taking a collaborative approach, and focusing on outcomes that improve life in the community.”
As a next step in the nomination process, IDC invites the public to vote on the named finalists at http://bit.ly/3JKtpvn. Voting will be open through March 31, 2023. Winners will be honoured at Smart Cities Connect being held from May 16 to 18 in Denver, CO. Learn more about the award program.
Finalists in the SCNAA illustrate best practice examples of how forward-thinking municipalities are effectively leveraging technology and innovation to offer new services and economic opportunities and to meet the needs and expectations of citizens and residents.
“Now in our sixth year, we continue to be impressed with the sophistication of Smart City initiatives successfully implemented across North America and congratulate the finalists on their dedication to employing modern technology to improve the day to day lives of citizens,” said Ruthbea Yesner, Vice President, IDC Government Insights and Smart Cities and Communities Strategies. “We are grateful to showcase the innovation and ingenuity being applied across municipalities and provide a roadmap for others looking to replicate similar initiatives. We will continue in this tradition for years to come as commitment to smart city projects and tech innovation thrives among our powerful government community.”
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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office:
At mayorscarpitti@markham.ca.
All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham:
Kisha Powell, Media Relations & Communications Specialist at kpowell@markham.ca.
For additional information about these awards or to speak with Ruthbea Yesner, please contact:
Sarah Murray
Attune Communications
781.378.2674
sarah@attunecommunications.com
Mary Conroy
IDC
mconroy@idc.com
About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with more than 353,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 headquartered companies and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 234 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy.
